Van Hollen Secures $75 Million Increase in Program to Support B-W Parkway Repairs

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has announced that he secured a $75 million increase in a program that can be used to support Baltimore-Washington Parkway repairs. Earlier this year, the National Park Service (NPS) struggled with timely repairs of the Parkway – creating pothole issues and poor driving conditions – due to a lack of funds in this account. Following Senator Van Hollen’s efforts to address this issue, the Park Service began emergency repairs of the roadway. This new funding – up from $25 million in FY 2019 – can also be used to repair and improve the Clara Barton and Suitland Parkways. To receive the funds, NPS or the State of Maryland will have to apply for them, and Senator Van Hollen will push them to do so. The funds were included in the FY 2020 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development funding bill passed Thursday by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“Thousands of Marylanders travel on the B-W Parkway every day, and its poor condition isn’t just a nuisance – it’s a public safety risk,” said Senator Van Hollen. “NPS has estimated that there are millions of dollars in maintenance needs that have been deferred, and this new funding can help address that problem and make improvements to the Clara Barton and Suitland Parkways. I’m going to keep pushing to make sure Maryland receives the money it needs to make these improvements.”